Posted by Jennifer Burns on Thu, Jul 22, 2010
As you probably know by now, we love educational events. A month or so back, we started hearing teasers regarding a new event focused on Enterprise Mobility. Now that it has come to fruition, we are giddy. Admittedly, I am a geek. Feel free to poke fun.
CTIA will be hosting the CTIA Enterprise & Application Conference in San Francisco October 5th-8th. Prior to the event, The Enterprise Mobility Foundation will be kicking off Enterprise Mobility Boot Camp - a Two-Part Power Session for IT/Telecom professionals who need unbiased advice from mobile enterprise experts.
Enterprise Mobility Boot Camp Part I: Examines the "hot issues of the day" for the mobile enterprise, and then dives deep into the tactical considerations IT/Telecom professionals face every day. A range of strategies for maximizing the mobile enterprise through mobile applications and a hosted networking reception rounds out day one programming.
Enterprise Mobility Boot Camp Part II: Enables IT/Telecom professionals to learn about leading vendors in the space, participate in a peer-to-peer, rapid-fire "Speed Networking" session to make valuable connections and finally engage in an "Ask the Experts" panel/break-out session with leading enterprise mobility analysts.
To find out more information or to register, click here.
I know that I need to get into shape and there is always more to learn in this dynamic area, so I will definitely be there! I hope to see you.
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Tue, Jul 20, 2010
The Telecom Tip Junkie is back in full force! I hope that you found my recent post on RFP tips helpful and informative.
I came across another great tip from AOTMP. This one seems particularly relevant right now as us consumers are constantly lured into buying the latest technology (iPhone 4.whatever's next, Droid X, etc.). Lets be honest, it is starting to get difficult to stay in "the know" with the latest developments or even drawbacks. For instance, what kind of data plan is necessary when purchasing the Droid or will I need rabbit ears from my old TV in order for my new iPhone to work. Personally, I don't have a clue.
What I do know is this dynamic environment combined with hundred if not thousands of users, poses a number of challenges for those of you charged with evaluating the options and managing the infrastructure. While blindfolding and gagging your company's early adopters whenever a new mobile device is released has some appeal, its probably against your HR policy. As an alternative, here is a little tip that may help a little.
Tip #265: Environment Management - Periodic Technology Reviews
New technologies may enhance current business operations or may not be practical at all; however, you shoul establish a periodic review of what is available. it is possible that you might not need to replace what is in use now, but you may find bundled packaging or pricing of services is a current offering from you Telecom Service Provider. There are several methods by which you could conduct these reviews. One way would be to require a meeting with your Telecom Service Provider representative every six months. Alternate methods might be to consult the technological savvy people within your organization, conduct research on the internet, or check the Service/Price Guides of the providers to evaluate promotional offerings. New technology may increase efficiency, but to make a sound decision about new technology offerings, you need to also consider functionailty, implementation costs and recurring costs in your assessment.
Until next time.
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Fri, Jul 16, 2010
I promised to blog about CCMIs National Summit on Telecom Expense Management and some of the sessions. While Ian’s keynote presentation was by far my favorite, of course, I really enjoyed a session presented by Steve Martin the IT Financial Officer of Liberty Mutual Insurance. He presented a Case Study that discussed the RFP portion of his company’s Telecom Expense Management provider selection process.
Steve’s presentation resonated with me personally. In my earlier days at Quickcomm, I was the person responsible for responding to any RFX that came our way. Responding to an RFX takes a significant amount of time, thought and….patience. To say that this portion of my job was both grueling and frustrating is a complete understatement. I am still wondering what I did in a previous life that warranted this task to fall on to my plate. I have received RFXs that were over 200 pages (which didn’t include our response), ones that required 9 copies printed while asking how we will help them “go green”, ones required on blue paper, one that inquired into Quickcomm’s preferred snack choice is and I won’t even get into some of the off-the-wall questions we have had to respond to. Don’t ask.
Sorry, I digress. Of course, I understand that the RFP process is a necessary evil for some organizations. And while it is a huge undertaking on the supplier’s part, it is even more so for an enterprise. Scoping, writing, reading, evaluating and down-selecting is far more difficult than simply responding. When I saw Steve’s case study, I absolutely had to attend as I was really curious as to hear from an enterprise what the thought process was behind this huge undertaking. I left the session wanting to sing Steve’s praises from a mountain top. He really had some valuable knowledge and tips to share that helped both enterprises and suppliers. Here are some:
- Don’t ask questions just because you can. Only ask what is necessary. His RFP was originally 413 questions which after second review was whittled down to 255 questions.
- Discuss RFP scoring BEFORE the RFP is launched.
- Create a supplier background RFI process. Ask repetitive bidders a standard set of questions and keep the responses on file and leverage for future RFX.
- Focus on your company’s specific needs.
- Create a company overview document for Telecom Expense Management. Provide as much current state information and historical data as possible. Include current workflows and processes. (I can’t stress how much this helps suppliers properly scope, respond and price your project.)
- Define team roles and responsibilities. Ensure that everyone on the RFP Team understands roles and responsibilities before the RFP launches.
- Summarize all of the supplier responses along with the following comparison
- Did they provide the same answer, if “Yes”, eliminate it as a differentiator
- Level of confidence in the response
- Follow up questions you may have
- Supplier edge
- Interact with the suppliers during the process. View a demo, discuss the RFP, clarify responses and discuss your potential issues and concerns in detail.
And my absolute favorite was:
- Approach the RFP as if the supplier knows best. I know it seems self serving that I would say this is my favorite but hear me out. I will be the first person to say that you know your business best…here comes the “but”. While you may know your business best, some suppliers are experts in telecom expense management. TEM suppliers have been implementing these projects and processes for clients of all shapes and sizes. And we have been doing it for a long time and have had to overcome some unique challenges.
Steve noted during the session that the way they were currently doing things wasn’t necessarily the best way. I loved it when he said, “We weren’t doing the right thing in the first place, and we needed someone to tell us that. I want a partner to tell me what I need, not what I want.”
Posted by Mark Evans on Tue, Jul 06, 2010
Workwise…..
It’s been nice. I have to say, Europe has adopted Telecom Expense Management from an entirely different standpoint in comparison to the US.
If you wind the clock back in the US about 10 years ago, there was a moderately available TEM solution there that was entirely based on managed service. You would commonly hear, “Send all of your bills to us and we will take the problem away from you”. There wasn’t any real science behind it and no real introduction of technology to underpin it. Nonetheless, there was a known service that could be outsourced in the same manner as payroll or AP.
Australian TEM, although later in the game, was always based on the availability of electronic billing data. This was a bi-product of those days in the mid-nineties where it seemed like every major carrier on the planet descended on Sydney and Melbourne and dug up the streets and installing fibre. This was until most of them realised that actually, there aren’t that many people there (in comparison to other areas)! Still, what it DID do was cause them to issue electronic billing data in order to create a differentiator. This enables smart technology platforms to process and analyze the data and do useful things with it. I am proud to say that the TEM industry down there was somewhat pioneered by us in this regard.
Europe, however, seems to have got the best of both worlds. While the adoption of TEM has come later than the US and Australia, the European market is now able to obtain both smart technology and quality managed services around it. In effect, they can still “outsource the problem” but now with meaningful and technology driven processes. Add in the unprecedented adoption of this by the bigger global System Integrators, BPO players and the carrier’s themselves and I would say Europe has the best of both worlds.
So personally, would I consider Australia, USA or England the best place to live? They all have their positive attributes – all marvellous in their own regard and I enjoyed every minute in all three. But family desires aside, I would choose England! There you go – I’ve said it.
photo by mdda
Posted by Mark Evans on Tue, Jun 29, 2010
Those of you have met me over the past 5 years probably think I am Australian. CEO of an Aussie company, Aussie ‘twang”, continual references to Telstra, Optus and Sydney’s stunning beaches…..
But in actuality, I am not. I grew up in England. My family are all English and if I am pushed to make a call on the matter, then I would have to say “I am as English as fish ‘n chips, cup-o-tea and Mary Poppins.”
I moved to Australia 23 years ago (when I still considered myself immortal) and made my life and career in Sydney. Surprisingly enough, in a complex web of happenstance, I now find myself back in Blighty! Back on my old stomping ground after spending six years in New York.
I have to say, after 23 years, it was initially odd. It’s a strange position to be in. In the first few weeks, I was fumbling with the coins and was a bit bewildered by the place. It was like walking back into your childhood home and finding it full of strange people. After my first month, I felt as if I had never left. In fact, the TV shows so many re-runs, that even switching on the TV is like being back in the eighties! It just costs more now.
Workwise...well I will write about that in my next post later this week.
Posted by Ian Murray on Fri, Jun 25, 2010
I attended the CCMI National Telecom Expense Management Summit in Washington DC this week where I was invited to deliver the keynote speech. The event was attended by IT, Finance and procurement professionals from organizations that have already partnered with a TEM provider and those looking to do so. Interestingly, several of the attendees appeared to be shopping for a replacement TEM provider having been left dissatisfied by their current choice. I am proud to note that none of Quickcomm’s current customers there in that capacity!
The keynote topic was satisfying your CFO’s requirements with your current or future Telecom Expense Management project and I’ll be covering this same topic in Quickcomm’s webinar on June 30th.
I met with some very interesting people: potential customers; TEM consultants looking for an application to underpin their current services and many friends from inside the TEM industry that I haven’t seen since the last trade event.
From the list of prospective customers their managed telecom spend ranges from $10m to over $150m and spans domestic and international carriers. Despite the wide range in scope - the headache always remains the same and there are always savings opportunities for all sized clients.
If you haven’t registered for the webinar yet then register now to reserve your space.
Posted by John Bruce on Thu, Jun 24, 2010
Excellent recent webinar by Jennifer Beck at Gartner, entitled “The CIO Mindset”. They surveyed their clients, pretty much a who’s who of corporations, to figure out what’s keeping CIOs awake at night. In general terms, no shocking revelations, they discovered the top three concerns are; Improving Business processes, Reducing Enterprise costs and Increasing the use of information/analytics.
As a vendor who can confidently demonstrate we improve business processes, reduce enterprise telecomm costs by over ten percent and provide analytics to help users drive their businesses more efficiently, the report was well received. It went on to call out the areas of most interest in improving the overall economics of IT and immediately after the hot topics of virtualization, cloud computing and Web2.0 was Networking, voice and data communications.
Good company news all round. USA and England both qualified for the final sixteen and the Socceroos almost pulled off an upset. Every office is happy.
You can find the Webinar on the Gartner website.
Posted by Piers Tyler on Wed, Jun 23, 2010
The Quickcomm Australia team has just spent the last week in Singapore exhibiting at the CommunicAsia show. We always enjoy a trip to the city of endless shopping, great food and wonderful taxi drivers. Seriously, can you tell me of another city in the world with such interesting and pleasant cabbies? No, I didn't think so.
The Marina skyline looks fantastic now that the new Sands Casino has been completed, ready to drain unsuspecting visitors of their hard earned cash. I had a wander around the complex on my last visit and it's a fantastic piece of architecture.
Anyway....The show was a little slower than expected, with attendee numbers down and a confusing mix of exhibitors. I think the organizers need to rethink their approach. Nevertheless, we made contact with some exciting prospects - so on balance the show was a success. Plus, we ate like kings for next to nothing. If you like your food spicy and authentic, head on down to Racecourse Road and hit the Banana Leaf Apolo (yes, only one ‘L'.) They serve the best Indian food outside India in my humble opinion. We also enjoyed some great Pepper Crab at the No Signboard restaurant at the Esplanade. Some of us enjoyed more than one.
Anyway, getting around to business. It's very apparent from the meetings that we have had over the past few days that carriers across the region are ready to embrace Mobile Device Management. The ever increasing demand for complex, powerful smart phones is putting pressure on carriers to assist their Enterprise customers with the management of these critical devices. Some of the developing markets have a very high majority of prepaid customers so it is vital to retain higher margin, less mobile corporate fleets. Quickcomm provides mobile operators with a comprehensive portalthat will help increase ARPU, improve retention - and differentiate a carrier's enterprise mobile offering in an increasingly commoditized and competitive marketplace.
As the old adage goes, buy them whilst they're hot...like those wonderful curries.
Posted by John Bruce on Mon, Jun 21, 2010
I am at the CCMI National Summit on Telecom Expense Management conference in Washington DC, where one of our staff, Ian Murray, has just given the keynote presentation. I don't normally blow our bugle in a blog, but this really was an excellent session. Judging by the comments from folks who came along afterwards, it was very well received.
Ian spoke about some particularly compelling benefits to be derived from deploying a Telecom Expense Management solution and how to track key performance metrics directly attributable to a successful implementation. Ian will presenting the material in one of our upcoming webinars "Killer KPIs: Key Performance Indicators for Telecom Expense Management ROI" and it promises to be one of our best yet.
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Fri, Jun 18, 2010
Its been a while since I posted a personal update and some of you have been asking for it...so here it goes.
As many of you know, we recently launched our new website. After many months of late nights, working weekends and a number of headaches along the way, I was overdue for a little R&R post launch...ok, maybe "a little" is an understatement.
The past few weekends, I have visited Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, Aruba, Long Beach Island and I am headed to Washington DC this weekend.
My husband and I spent Memorial Day Weekend in Pt. Pleasant, NJ with our close friends Rich, Peggy and Berkeley (their dog). The weekend was full of bloody marys, delicious seafood, lots of laughs and some seriously fun people watching. For those of you that don't know, I actually grew up near the Jersey Shore (Monmouth County) and spent my summers working at the beach clubs from the age of 13 through some of college. Post college, I moved to Hoboken and for the first time in my life, I became a benny.
Benny (n.) ben·ny [ bénnee ] - a derogatory term used by residents of the Jersey Shore to describe tourists from more northern cities, specifically New York City and its immediate suburbs. The term is predominantly used by year-round residents of the beachfront towns of Ocean County and Monmouth County.
As soon as the ground thaws from a harsh winter and accuweather promises a low of 65 degrees, myself and thousands of others brave horrendous traffic in an effort to enjoy the magical Jersey shore. Memorial Day weekend, there was a noticeable shift in the demographic and quantity of visitors. Pt. Pleasant has always been a hub of activity for families. It has a huge boardwalk, great restaurants and bars, and clean beaches. The weekend we were there, it was like every fan of the "Jersey Shore" TV show who couldn't rent a house in Seaside overflowed into Pt Pleasant. It was packed! I was in my typical cool weather shore attire of a pair of jeans, flip flops, a t shirt and sweater while the boardwalk and beached overflowed with girls in bikinis and high heels (yes, on the beaches).
It was really a great weekend. Everyone, tourists and locals alike, can't help but to be in a good mood at the shore. Highlights included...a Memorial Day barbecue, lunch on the bay with family, friends and Berkeley, a case of sunburn, fireworks we could hear (not see) and my first run at the beach for the summer with Peggy. Ok, it was a short run, I think Peggy left me at mile marker 1 while she ran another 9 miles. In my defense, she is training for the marathon and I hadn't ran since autumn.
Of course, in the midst of my dizziness and huffing my inhaler in an attempt to save my life, I was thinking of telecom expense management! That's why we have two webinars coming up. One entitled Key Performance Indicators for Telecom Expense Management ROI and one entitled Control Costs and Manage Change in a Wireless Enterprise which will be hosted out of our office in London featuring Mark Evans. More to come on that one.
I will write about our other trips in future posts. I have to get ready for our trip to Washington DC this weekend. The National Summit on Telecom Expense Management kicks off on Monday. I will definitely update you early next week. If you are headed there, let me know. I would love to see you!